2027 Best Value Urban Education & Leadership Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[Urban Education & Leadership](/majors/education/educational-administration/urban-education-and-leadership/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value urban education & leadership schools.
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2027 Best Value Urban Education & Leadership Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in urban education & leadership, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Urban Education & Leadership Schools
Leading the list is Kean University, our #1 best value for urban education & leadership in the Middle Atlantic Region. Set in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,299, compared with $22,446 for out-of-state students. Urban Education & Leadership graduates carry a median of $26,703 in student loans. Urban Education & Leadership graduates of Kean University earn a median of $79,188 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Kean University admits about 76% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny College At Buffalo earned it the #2 place for urban education & leadership. Set in the city of Buffalo, Suny College At Buffalo is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,533, compared with $19,653 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for urban education & leadership graduates is $25,257. Urban Education & Leadership graduates of Suny College At Buffalo earn a median of $39,412 early in their careers. Set against $25,257 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Suny College At Buffalo admits about 73% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New Jersey City University earned it the #3 place for urban education & leadership. Located in the city of Jersey City, New Jersey City University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,460. Students borrow a median of $22,107 to complete the urban education & leadership program here. Early-career urban education & leadership graduates make about $67,503. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New Jersey City University admits about 98% of applicants.
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value urban education & leadership schools. Located in the town of Indiana, Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,380, compared with $16,297 for out-of-state students. Urban Education & Leadership graduates carry a median of $26,513 in student loans. Urban Education & Leadership graduates of Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus earn a median of $42,972 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,513 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Delaware earned it the #5 place for urban education & leadership. University Of Delaware is a very large public school located in the suburb of Newark. In-state tuition and fees average $16,810, with out-of-state students paying around $41,400. Typical student debt for urban education & leadership graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, urban education & leadership degree recipients from University Of Delaware generally make around $75,743. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Johns Hopkins University placed #6 among the best values for urban education & leadership. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Students from in state pay about $64,730 in tuition and fees. Urban Education & Leadership graduates carry a median of $13,426 in student loans. Urban Education & Leadership graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of $84,251 early in their careers. Set against $13,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
The College Of New Jersey earned the #7 position for value in urban education & leadership this year. The College Of New Jersey is a large public school located in the suburb of Ewing. Students from in state pay about $19,632 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,752 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for urban education & leadership graduates is $24,997. Soon after graduation, urban education & leadership degree recipients from The College Of New Jersey generally make around $70,302. That is a strong return on a $24,997 median debt. The College Of New Jersey admits about 62% of applicants.
Temple University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value urban education & leadership schools. Temple University is a very large public school located in the city of Philadelphia. In-state tuition and fees average $23,005, compared with $38,805 for out-of-state students. Urban Education & Leadership graduates carry a median of $26,259 in student loans. Early-career urban education & leadership graduates make about $78,823. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Rochester came in at #9 for value in urban education & leadership this year. Set in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,080. Students borrow a median of $21,517 to complete the urban education & leadership program here. Urban Education & Leadership graduates of University Of Rochester earn a median of $73,997 early in their careers. Set against $21,517 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Rochester admits about 40% of applicants.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus placed #10 among the best values for urban education & leadership. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,926, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Urban Education & Leadership graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban education & leadership degree recipients from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus generally make around $74,610. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.